Friday night out??and popcorn..

Well I'm sitting in the floor of my bedroom listening to my sweet baby sleep and Brennon, Madi and Tyler ( a neighbor) are up stairs playing what sounds like xbox 360. Why am I sitting in my floor you ask? well I have this fear of Braiden falling off the bed and if I sit on the bed with him he doesn't nap as well. Patrick, my BIL Blake ( who sings fabulously and really could do it for a living but feels led to be on the praise and worship team at his church - Church of the Highlands), my sister Jami and I are going to our church - Daystar to see Fireproof. I think we are some of the few who haven't seen this movie. I really am looking forward to it, it is almost like a date.... I haven't been on one of those since November of 2006. And the best part it is free, and with popcorn. Yummy. My Dad and Janice ( my step mom- but we don't use that word it sounds so evil thanks to Disney, she and my dad have been marries since I was 3, I honestly can not remember a time with out her) are coming over to keep the kidos for us.
I do have a praise report of sorts. My Dad had his tests today and they saw nothing remarkable. They took several biopsy's and are checking on some preexisting stomach conditions but over all things look good. No cancer or sig. bleeding seen. My dad and I haven't always been close and I would love for us to be even closer and we are working at it and trying. My mom and him divorced when I was 2 and I lived with her only seeing my dad every other weekend and a couple of weeks out of the summer. Things were also stressed between them and a lot of neg. things were said in my home about my dad. So I grew up with my mom talking bad about my dad and to be honest I was afraid of him for a period in my life. I now know that to be wrong and mostly not true. I'm reading a blog called Bring the Rain and I really have felt so much comfort there. In her blog Angie recommended a book Parenting the way God Parents. WOW this book has changed the way I see myself. I have always tried so hard not to repeat the mistakes of my mother and this book address just that. And Wed night in class Pastor Jerry talked about breaking the generational curse that is in your family. Things can stop with you, you do not have to repeat the parenting styles of your parents. This book really is worth the $ and time to read it. I think I got off the topic of my dad- anyway he is doing better and feeling better. So thank you God, continue to cover him with your healing and love.
I'm really excited to spend time with Jami and Blake. They are young and are pregnant for the first time. Such an exciting time in our family. They can use our prayers also. Things are changing for them and Jami is nervous and a little scared about this baby. Her progesterone was too low and they told her she wouldn't get pregnant, well she already was and didn't know it yet. So this child was in Gods plan and is a blessing from Him.
Patrick and I are going through some personal problems, Mostly about $. When I was on bed rest for 23 weeks and not working it messed our finances up a smidge. We are trying to avoid bankruptcy and work through this. It has been very stressful on us and our marriage. But I have faith and hope that things will be OK. We are starting to tithe the full 10% and that may sound crazy to some when we are faced with all this dept and all but I have faith that God will see us through. We never really tithed the full 10% before and why should God bless us financially when we never gave Him the chance. Really all we have is His, we should give it all. So I'm asking for prayer this is a HUGE step for us, but I feel the right one to take.
Please continue to pray for Harper and Brayden the babies in NICU in Tulsa. Their buttons are on the previous post.

Brandi

Prayer Requests

Braiden is almost 18 months old and it was planned that we would start trying for our 4th and last baby at that time. That would put our last 2 the same age apart as our first 2. Well things do not always go as planned. I am still breastfeeding this little man and he is showing no interest in weaning. ( if anyone has any hints on how to do this please let me know). We have been really busy with our older 2 and all that they are involved with. Braiden has been a blessing and we are enjoying just being with him. Sooo with that said I am just not feeling that it is the right time for us to have another baby. I know I am deterring from "the plan". I have been in prayer about this for sometime. I want this to be in Gods will for us. So if he wants us to have another baby we will and if not I will be thankful for all our blessings and he will take the desire for a baby out of my heart.
My Dad praise the Lord doesn't have a pancreas problem. He tested + for H Pylori. A bacteria found in your gut that can cause ulcers. So his Dr's are leaning toward this. We will know more after some more tests. He has been so sick and really hasn't felt well for a while now.
My brother is still in need of prayers. God is really his only hope right now. No person on earth can help him and change his heart. We just pray that it will not be too late.
So many babies are also in need of prayer.. I do not know these people personally but I know them through Blog world.... Read their stories and be in prayer that God will be merciful and heal these little ones.








There are also so many more out there but these are a few I am following. The more people praying for these babies the better.

Patrick and I are starting Fire Proof tonight at church. I have already started Love Dare and am finding it to be hard. Is it supposed to be? Am I doing it wrong or are we really in trouble? I am learning a lot about myself and my marriage and let me tell you it isn't pretty my friends. We have been going through a lot of person things these past 3 years and I post more as I feel comfortable doing it.

Just a few things I'm in prayer about today.

Brandi

A new year

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Psalm 63:2-4



Well another year is gone. This one for the most part flew by. Our children are another year older. (10,8 and 1) Patrick and I have been married one more year. (12) Things just keep moving forward and forever changing. We have lost family members and we have gained new ones. The cycle of life goes on. This year as we counted down (in our dreams) the final moments of 2008, I couldn't help but be thankful for all the wonderful ways we have been blessed. I really feel undeserving of it all.



Our children have been our greatest blessing in life. They continue to amaze me with their beauty. I know all people think their kids are beautiful, but being a labor and delivery nurse and having seen lots of babies, I know this to not be 100% true. They are just growing and their features are changing. They are evolving into young adults. Their baby faces are gone and their bodies are starting to take on curvy shapes that make their father shake his head and turn away. We asked each other after Madi comes bouncing down the stairs with just a T on looking for her sleep pants, When did that happen? Where is our sweet faced little girl? Who is this curvy child? Brennon is matureing also. His cleft chin, and soft lines of his jaw are looking more like his fathers everyday. I no longer have to bend down to kiss the top of his head, it is right under my chin. Lil B what can I say, he went from barely 6 lbs to 22lbs in 1 year. Wow the changes he has undergone is staggering. He is beautiful in everyway.



Our marriage has changed, for the better. There were moments when I just wasn't sure. Moments where Satan would creep in and plant seeds of doubt in my heart. BUT..... Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.1 Corinthians 13:3-5 It is a work in progress and we are always working on it. I know that God has a plan. And although we have many faults, being together is part of that plan.

I have heard God speak into our family a lot this past year. Sometimes His voice was a whisper other times He was screaming loudly. God works in funny ways. We were in so need of the word in our life. I had been praying for years for a church where we were ministered to and could get involved. Daystar has been an answered prayer. Our children are forever changed. We are learning about Gods plan and his will for our life. How beautiful it is to know your children have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and invited Him into their hearts. What an awe moment to see your sweet babies Baptized. God has been so good to us. As I have said before, I feel so undeserving of his love and grace. I can't understand His love for me, I am so grateful for it.

Thank you God for all that you have given to us, everything we have belongs to you, you are all that we need. I pray that you come and dwell in the halls of our house, make your presence known, guide us in this year to come, so that everything we do brings you honor and glory. Protect us and cover us pour out your mercy on us for we are so undeserving of your love. Keep us safe, hold our children close to you, protect them as they grow to know you and love you. Father we love you and thank you. Amen.